National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)

OpenScape UC Suite 2011, OpenScape UC Server 2010 and OpenScape Office MX All Recognized for Exceptional Innovation

NPIA saves forces millions through national procurementn framework

The NPIA’s value for money work has helped forces across the UK make combined savings of more than £6 million by using the Agency’s Identity Access Management (IAM) national framework.

The framework has helped forces to buy the hardware, software and maintenance support to set up IAM, a more efficient and centrally managed electronic sign-on system. It enables authorised police officers and staff to access national police databases securely using one unique password or smartcard and pin.

The NPIA negotiated a deal with Siemens Enterprise Communications, so forces could buy equipment at a reduced cost. Using the framework to set up IAM saves each force on average around £150,000.

IAM also creates a common security platform for secure information sharing between forces meaning they will be ready to make full use of the Police National Database. In addition to this plans are being made to use IAM for other national applications such as IDENT1 (the national fingerprint database) and development work is well underway with CRASH (a computerised accident recording system)
 
IAM also delivers:

• authentication of individuals accessing police systems
• access for officers to police systems from any location saving officer time by reducing the need to travel
• single sign-on, avoiding multiple log in processes for individual systems and password resetting

NPIA programme manager for IAM, Graham Dunn said: “Public safety and value for money are the overriding objectives for the NPIA and police forces.  The IAM programme is providing the technology that will lead to better sharing of information for front line policing with organisation-wide cost and procurement efficiencies.

The IAM framework agreement provides a great example for how other public organisations and their partners may achieve national or regional-level agreements to deliver a step change in operational savings and collaboration.”

Andy Clark, head of public sector, Siemens Enterprise Communications, said: “The IAM programme and associated framework has delivered common, secure and streamlined information sharing processes accompanied by large scale cost savings. These savings are rooted in streamlined national level procurement and flexible managed service options for subscribers.”

“We believe the programme’s ‘build once, reissue many times’ principle has wider possibilities for the police service and other public sector organisations who seek cost synergies from collaboration.  The uptake of the IAM Managed Service over 12 months has further underpinned forces’ readiness for accessing national Police applications.”

Notes to editor

The Identity Access Management framework was made available to forces in April 2009. As a result, 43 forces now have an IAM managed service. PND is the first national application to be secured using IAM.  

Siemens Enterprise Communications developed the IAM framework to the NPIA's specifications in 2009. This was to enable police forces and other criminal justice organisations to develop common operational standards and secure information sharing while driving efficiencies. 

The company’s scheme-compliant IAM managed service is built on secure identity registration and digital identity production. It gives police forces a practical way to organise information sharing needs through flexible procurement and contract options. The IAM platform can be standardised across operations and enables wider collaboration with other criminal justice and public sector organisations in the future.

Because the IAM platform is provided as a managed service, subscriber organisations can scale up their information access systems through their monthly operational budgets and maintain cost controls.  In addition, user organisations have the flexibility to deploy the platform for one to ten year contract period needs.  The service is also backed by the latest systems and technical back up from Siemens Enterprise Communications’ expert support teams.

For further information contact the NPIA Press Office on 020 3113 7240 /7241/7226/7229

Volver a la presentación general